Director of Finance

Thank you for your interest. If you are a Green Dot internal employee, please apply using the Jobs Hub on the Workday Home Page. If you are a Green Dot contract/independent worker, please apply through the External Posting URL. OPPORTUNITY The Director of Finance has a critical role in supporting Green Dot’s mission to prepare students for college, leadership, and life. The Director of Finance will have a strong understanding of finance, excellent analytical skills, strong managerial skills, and the ability to communicate financial information effectively to diverse stakeholders. This position plays a vital role in ensuring the financial health and sustainability of the organization while supporting its educational mission. This position is part of the Finance team and reports to the Chief Financial Officer. This is a role serving as part of Green Dot’s central office team, primarily based in Los Angeles. ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES Budgeting and Forecasting Lead the development and oversight of the annual budgeting process for both school sites and the Home Office, collaborating closely with department heads and senior management to ensure alignment with organizational goals. Cultivate a deep understanding of the organization’s funding models, including state and federal education funding sources, key expense drivers, and opportunities for financial optimization. Enhance and refine Green Dot’s budgeting and modeling tools, including the utilization of Adaptive Insights, to streamline the budgeting/forecasting process. Manage budget performance throughout the fiscal year; execute corrective actions based on trends and analysis. Collaborate closely with Operations and Finance Managers to fine-tune monthly forecasts, fostering cross-functional teamwork and developing tools to effectively disseminate monthly financial information to stakeholders across the organization. Reporting and Analysis Collaborate closely with the Chief Financial Officer and other organizational leaders to develop and enhance interactive multi-year projections encompassing Income Statements, Balance Sheets, and Cash Flow statements, both at the individual school level and across the organization. Oversee standard and ad hoc analyses and reports that provide a comprehensive view of the financial and operational aspects of the organization, catering to the needs of management, Operational Leadership, and the Board of Directors. Forge strong partnerships with Operations and Finance Managers, actively working towards achieving financial sustainability by meticulously dissecting key variances, identifying long-term risks, and devising strategies to enhance financial outcomes. Take a lead role in spearheading and participating in annual continuous improvement projects aimed at refining financial processes, optimizing reporting systems, and implementing best practices. Serve as a key resource for senior management by providing insightful analyses and actionable recommendations to inform strategic decision-making. Grants and Fund Management Facilitate the creation and management of budgets and projections for both public and private funding sources. Actively engage with program managers to collaboratively construct comprehensive grant budgets, ensuring precision and completeness in reporting to funders. Assist in the preparation of grant proposals by providing financial data and budget information as required. Management and Communication Cultivate and maintain positive and productive relationships with key stakeholders, including school leaders, department heads, organization partners, etc. Act as a liaison between the finance department and other departments, facilitating effective communication and understanding of financial matters across the organization. Communicate financial information and insights effectively to non-financial stakeholders. Manage duties and responsibilities of the Finance Manager ensuring that they have the necessary resources and support. Other Maintain and update financial policies and procedures that align with industry best practices. Manage the process for annual financial audits, ensuring compliance with all regulatory requirements. Develop strategies to optimize cash reserves and investments. Identify financial risks and develop strategies to mitigate them. Identify opportunities for process improvement and implement changes as necessary. Perform other duties as assigned QUALIFICATIONS The qualifications for this position are: Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred. 5+ years of progressively responsible experience in finance, budgeting, or financial planning, preferably within California K–12 public education or charter school environments. 3+ years of experience directly managing and developing finance, accounting, or budget team members, including setting priorities, driving accountability, and building strong cross-functional partnerships. Demonstrated experience managing complex organizational budgets, including both school-site and centralized/home office budgets. Advanced expertise in financial modeling, forecasting, variance analysis, and budget system development; experience with Workday Adaptive Planning strongly preferred. Proven ability to identify financial discrepancies, cross-reference data across systems, and partner effectively with operations and finance leaders to drive accuracy, accountability, and sound financial decision-making. Pass a TB test and background check at the time of offer In addition, the following standards will generally define the successful candidate: Highly motivated and self-driven; curious to understand, driven to problem solve and tenacity to follow through Excellent ability to develop and manage financial models that provide actionable data and can be maintained and improved by staff Experience with and proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint and Word Ability to maintain positive relations with colleagues at all levels—including central office staff and school-site administrators and staff Ability to coach, train, and lead junior staff Ability to simultaneously manage multiple projects, while maintaining a firm grasp of individual project details; meeting and/or exceeding project goals with the highest quality High level of personal responsibility, a growth mindset, and an A+ work ethic Dependability, humility, a sense of humor, and a rock-solid commitment to Green Dot’s mission and the communities we serve Job Requirements > Work Hours: This position requires consistent attendance during scheduled hours, as flexibility is limited by classroom or operational requirements. > Breaks: Breaks are structured within the workday and must align with operational needs and student care requirements. Extended or frequent breaks may not be feasible in this setting. The information contained herein is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of the duties and responsibilities of the job, nor is it intended to be an all-inclusive list of the skills and abilities required to perform the job. COMPENSATION The starting salary range for this role is $125,000 - $135,000. Please note that candidates who are new to their role or newly promoted can expect offers between the minimum and the mid-point of the range. To allow for salary progression over time, offers at the top of the range are rare. Individual education and experience will be considered when issuing offers. Green Dot also offers one of the most robust and comprehensive benefits packages in the industry (for both you and your dependents): > PPO, EPO and HMO choices for medical, dental and vision coverage - including a 100% employee-only paid option (visit for more information). > Employee Assistance Program (100% employer-paid) > Life and AD&D Insurance (100% employer-paid) > Optional Term Life & AD&D Insurance > Short- and Long-Term Disability Insurance (100% employer-paid) > Flexible Spending Accounts (health and dependent care) > Monthly parking for Central Office-based employees (100% employer-paid) > Wellness programs and resources > Financial planning/coaching access > Optional non-matching 401(k) plan > Potential for remote work opportunities (occasional or recurring) > Potential for annual performance-based compensation increases > Approved family care and/or medical leave (unpaid) Green Dot also offers generous paid time off for an overall work-life balance, while giving employees the opportunity to impact a growing, mission-driven organization that is committed to the success of all students: > 15 days of paid time off during years 1-3 of service (20 days during years 4-6 and 25 days beyond 6 years of service) > An additional 15 days (minimum) of paid time off each year for our Winter and Spring breaks* (which include the Christmas and New Year’s holidays), as well as an additional 10 annual paid holidays (MLK Day, President’s Day, Cesar Chavez Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, July 4th, Labor Day and Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving Day and Day after Thanksgiving) 3-5 days of paid bereavement leave (if needed) *May be adjusted annually Green Dot California Central Office, Los Angeles, CA Thank you for your interest in Green Dot Public Schools. Please note that we are unable to sponsor employment visas at this time. Applicants must already be authorized to work in the United States. ABOUT GREEN DOT Green Dot Public Schools is a non-profit network of public charter schools dedicated to transforming the public education system so that ALL students graduate prepared for college, leadership, and life. We recently entered our 25th year of empowering scholars to achieve these goals. Our schools are founded on an unwavering belief in the potential of all students, and four key elements to our school model help us unlock the inherent potential in every student we serve: quality teaching and instruction, a college-going culture, a focus on fostering leadership and life skills, and a focus on eliminating barriers to learning. We have 18 schools and over 10,000 students across Los Angeles. Our schools are located in some of the most underserved communities that have been denied access to high-quality educational opportunities, and we seek to prove that it is possible to close the access and opportunity gap that exists between low-income students and their more affluent peers. What differentiates Green Dot is our intense focus on truly serving ALL students, our collaboration with reform-minded unions, our work focused on large-scale turnarounds of schools formerly run by the districts, and our ability to take on the toughest challenges with the same public funding received by traditional district schools but accomplishing very different results. Green Dot’s results are undeniable. In 2024, all of our independent high schools were named among the best in the country by U.S. News & World Report, and we have four California Distinguished Schools. Several of our schools have received the CORE Districts’ Academic Growth Awards, which recognize schools making the greatest impact on student achievement. Additionally, Green Dot’s first turnaround, Alain LeRoy Locke College Preparatory Academy, was named Charter School of the Year by the California Charter Schools Association in 2019. Green Dot Public Schools has embedded a diversity, equity, and inclusion lens in our organizational culture, as well as in our educational and talent practices. We are committed to hiring those who reflect the diversity of our communities, and we recruit, employ, support, compensate and promote employees, without regard to their actual or perceived race, religious creed (including religious dress or grooming practices), color, national origin or ancestry (including native language spoken), physical or mental disability (including HIV or AIDS), medical condition (including cancer or genetic characteristics), genetic information, marital status (including registered domestic partnership status), sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), gender (including gender identity and expression), parental status, age (forty (40) and over), sexual orientation, Civil Air Patrol status, military and veteran status, citizenship, immigration status or any other consideration protected by federal, state or local law. Please note that Green Dot Public Schools is unable to sponsor any applicant for a temporary or permanent U.S employment-based visa, nor hire any applicant currently holding a temporary U.S. employment-based visa.